Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks

Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks – this impressive and flavorful comfort food recipe is a must make! savory sautéed shiitakes top this vegetable forward favorite!

Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks

I am telling you now – this is a must make recipe. One you make when you want to impress. One you make for a date night, or for your best friend! One you make for yourself when you want comfort food.

I really want to impress on you all that this recipe is a winner – you will love the incredible flavors. If you always hear me talking about how THIS recipe is the best, or THAT recipe is our new favorite – well, this Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks recipe is the one to pay attention to.

(Okay. You should make all those other recipes too. ha!)

The Blossom Cookbook

This recipe I am so completely raving about is one of many greats from The Blossom Cookbook  – Classic Favorites from the Restaurant That Pioneered a New Vegan Cuisine. 

Have you been to Blossom Restaurant in NYC? This book has some of their favorite menu items, guys! Their Buffalo Risotto Croquettes! Their signature Black Eyed Pea Cakes from Chelsea! That scrumptious Southern Seitan sandwich!

These Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks are just one of so many great choices!

I was thrilled when I heard about this book, and have been cooking my way through it since it landed on my doorstep. The Fluffy Quinoa Pancakes are divine, the Adobo Mushroom Tacos are a mildly spiced version of something we enjoy often on Taco Tuesday. The Autumn Tower is one of my favorites so far – a chickpea based layered gem.

and then there are these Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks (simply called Cauliflower Risotto in the book).

As with traditional risotto, this recipe is involved. That is not to say difficult – it is easy and uncomplicated, it just has several steps and a couple pans. As one always should, a quick read through the entire recipe before beginning helps drastically with this one – definitely helped me plan and made me aware of which ingredients were divided and used in two different ways.

That said? The end result is more than worth the time this takes. Most definitely. We love this dish, we have enjoyed it twice already, and I will not hesitate to make it again.

I was thrilled when I heard about this book, and have been cooking my way through it since it landed on my doorstep. The Fluffy Quinoa Pancakes are divine, the Adobo Mushroom Tacos are a mildly spiced version of something we enjoy often on Taco Tuesday. The Autumn Tower is one of my favorites so far – a chickpea based layered gem.

and then there are these Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks (simply called Cauliflower Risotto in the book).

As with traditional risotto, this recipe is involved. That is not to say difficult – it is easy and uncomplicated, it just has several steps and a couple pans. As one always should, a quick read through the entire recipe before beginning helps drastically with this one – definitely helped me plan and made me aware of which ingredients were divided and used in two different ways.

That said? The end result is more than worth the time this takes. Most definitely. We love this dish, we have enjoyed it twice already, and I will not hesitate to make it again.

I was thrilled when I heard about this book, and have been cooking my way through it since it landed on my doorstep. The Fluffy Quinoa Pancakes are divine, the Adobo Mushroom Tacos are a mildly spiced version of something we enjoy often on Taco Tuesday. The Autumn Tower is one of my favorites so far – a chickpea based layered gem.

and then there are these Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks (simply called Cauliflower Risotto in the book).

As with traditional risotto, this recipe is involved. That is not to say difficult – it is easy and uncomplicated, it just has several steps and a couple pans. As one always should, a quick read through the entire recipe before beginning helps drastically with this one – definitely helped me plan and made me aware of which ingredients were divided and used in two different ways.

That said? The end result is more than worth the time this takes. Most definitely. We love this dish, we have enjoyed it twice already, and I will not hesitate to make it again.

Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks

YIELD: serves two

dairy, egg, soy and gluten free, vegan

INGREDIENTS:

5 tablespoons vegan butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic, plus 1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
1 1/4 cups polenta
1 medium head cauliflower
2 whole shallots plus 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
5 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup white wine
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large pot, combine 1 tablespoon of vegan butter, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, ½ teaspoon of the pepper, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add polenta and stir until the water has been absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and spread in a 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly oiled baking sheet; let cool in the refrigerator.

Remove the cauliflower stem and discard. Coarsely chop cauliflower, and place it in a food processor. Pulse seven or eight times, or until it is finely minced, similar to the size and consistency of grains of rice. Divide the cauliflower into two equal portions.

Fill a large pot with water and add half the cauliflower, the whole shallots, and the garlic clove. Bring to a boil, and boil for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft. Drain the water and transfer the boiled cauliflower, shallots, and garlic to high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped shallot and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the rest of the minced cauliflower and stir well. Add the white wine and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the pureed cauliflower and stir. Add 1 cup* water, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of the vegan butter and stir. Add the parsley and stir to combine. The resulting mixture should be a risotto like consistency.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms begin to brown. Set aside.

Remove the polenta from the refrigerator and use a large thin-rimmed glass or a cookie cutter to cut it into rounds.

In a separate medium sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the polenta cakes and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on both sides.

To assemble, divide the polenta cakes between two plates, then top with the cauliflower risotto and finally the sautéed mushrooms.

*my own notes – I did not need to add the water, the two times I made this recipe.

I honestly cannot wait to make this again. It will be soon.

Cauliflower Risotto recipe reprinted from The Blossom Cookbook by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Ronen Seri and Pamela Elizabeth

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ABOUT KRISTINA SLOGGETT: Kristina is spabettie! She founded spabettie in 2010 to share her vegetarian recipes. Vegetarian quickly became vegan.
As the sole recipe developer and photographer at spabettie, Kristina turned her love of cooking and creativity into an extremely fun and challenging way to spend her days – sharing just how flavorful and vibrant vegan food is!
She loves dachshunds, Portland, Hawaii, drummers – well, one drummer – and travel.

printable Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks recipe:

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